Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-06
THE FUNCTION OF THE New HAVEN
COUNCIL.

THE FUNCTION OF THE New HAVEN
COUNCIL.
Editor Register No little surprise has
been OccasiOned by the article in the last
issue of the REGISTER, under the heading
"Functions of Councils" and over the
signature, "Granville wager. Those
not acquainted with the author do not
clearly discover the purpose or motive of
the article. nor is it an easier task to dis
cover what it has made out. If the object
OF the writer was to throw a great deal of
mist around Il matter that is very simple
and clear, the effort was eminently sue
cessful. If he aimed to throw light upon
anything that came before the New Haven
council. or impart any reliable informa-
ton to the moderator, or to the public.
the effort was signal failure The arti-
Gle does not adequately present the work
which the council was called to do: it
grossly misstates the position of the mod
orator: the quotations from authorities,
one and all, are irrelevant These state
ments | will now substantiate Three
parties united in calling the council. viz.
the pastor, the church, the society. These
three parties were perfectly agreed as to
what they wished to present to the coun-
Gil, and as to what they wished the coun-
ell to do. They formulated their wishes
briefly, clearly and properly in the follow
ing letter missive' q give the one ad.
dressed to the church in CornwalD:
"NEw HAVEN, March 30, lss7.
To the Congregational church in Cornwall,
.GREErING:
WHEREAS, The Rev. c. ;. Sargent has tender.
ed his resignation as pastor OF this church and
society, we therefore invite you to meet Us
in council by pastor and delegate, ON Wednes.
day, April l3,at 10 II o'clock a m at our Dlacc
OF worship, to consider such resignation, and
matters connected herewith, and, if Judged
eXpedient, to pronounce this pastoral relation
dissolved
Signed by the pastor, committee of the church
and committee of the society.
%The other CHURCHES invited are, orwell
Charlotte, and President Ezra Brainerd OF
Middlebury college,"
The function of the New Haven coun-
ell is fully expressed and limited by the
|wOrds-"to consider such resignation.
and matters connected herewith, and, if
Judged eXpedient, to pronounce this
pastoral relation dissolved" 1t was per-
fectly proper for the parties, and in per-
feet accord with Congregational principles
and usage, to ask a council to do just
what they did ask them to do. A council
assembled in response to such a letter
missive has no business to do anything
else than what they have been asked to
do. A council is guilty of assuming
authority only when it proceeds to do
what has not been committed to it by the
''letter-missive". If Prof. Iager's views
of Congregationalism would not allow
him TO unite with others in vote Ito
pronounce the pastoral relation dissolv-
ed, after a unanimous vote that such dis
Solution is eXpedent, then he should not
have consented to sit in that council. "a
70 ha n M
himself" Book of Proverbs, % 3. In this
rare book there are many other choice
maXims. better than 'fOOt-notes, (which
we commend to the careful perusal Of
Prof. Wager.
Prof. Wager says "The action taken or
the judgment expressed by the council,
was unanimous. Rev. NJ. C.. Stebbins,
pastor of the Congregational church in
Cornwall, the moderator of the council,
however, when asked to record his judg-
ment, or give his voice in the matter, con-
cured with his brethren, but with the
protest that he did not deem councils SIM
ply advisory bodies. lie believed and
held that they had and should use author
ity. especially in such a case as that then
under consideration
| beg leave to say that the moderator
made no such protest, expressed no such
| belief and maintained no such proposition
as the above-quOted words attributeto him.
| 1t was another man that took the time of
| the council in maintaining general and if
relevant matters. The moderator simply
maintained that that particular council
should do what it had been summoned to
do. Therefore, when the following rela-
ton was presented, as embodying the to-
tai action of the council, to wit, "We
/ deem it expedient that the relation be-
| tween this church and its pastor be dis
solved" he objected to it, that it did not
effect what the council was called to do
and suggested that, as it was evidently
the purpose of the parties calling the
council, anticipating as well-nigh certain
the conclusion that would be reached-tha
the council should declare the relation
dissolved, and so obviate the necessity OF
| further formal action, they would assume
| that the resolution was intended to dc
the work, and so the result would be tina
formally the relation would remain undis
solved, subsequent events have PROVED
this conjecture entirely correct. Had tn
suggestion of the moderator been needed
and these words-"and, therefore, as re
quested by letter missive, we pronounc
il dissolved" been added to the resOlu
ton adopted, the function of the NeV
Haven council would not have been lef
unfulfilled.